The invention is concerned with shelving assemblies including supporting brackets which brackets are in the form of channel-sectioned clips shaped to engage upright columns and to hold the rear edge of a shelf member, the brackets being readily adjusted and interchangeable and being also of short le...http://www.google.com/patents/US3631821?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US3631821 - Shelving assemblies

The invention is concerned with shelving assemblies including supporting brackets which brackets are in the form of channel-sectioned clips shaped to engage upright columns and to hold the rear edge of a shelf member, the brackets being readily adjusted and interchangeable and being also of short length.

SHELVING ASSEMBLIES This invention relates to shelving assemblies and more particularly to such assemblies which may be conveniently used as shop fittings and the like.

Many types of shelving have been devised comprising uprights at the front and back of the shelves or alternatively utilizing brackets forming braces extending from the forward part of the shelves to the supporting uprights.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple but strong shelving assembly which may be inexpensively manufactured and readily installed.

According to this invention there is provided a shelving assembly comprising uprights and shelf-supporting brackets, said brackets having locating formations on the rear face thereof adapted to releasably and adjustably engage the uprights and having a forwardly projecting horizontal channel section with the free ends of the channel flanges bent inwardly and with the upper flange shorter than the lower and a shelf member shaped to engage the bent portions of the channel flanges to hold the shelf member at the desired disposition forwardly of the supporting bracket.

Further features of this invention provide for separate sup porting brackets for each upright, for these brackets to be formed as metal pressings or from metal extrusions of desired cross sections and for the locating formations to be hook members having stops in spaced relation thereto, the hooks and stops positioned to engage in appropriate openings formed in the uprights.

A preferred form of the shelving assembly of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a section of shelving projecting from two uprights;

FIG. 2 is a view of the back of the supporting bracket;

FIG. 3 shows the metal pressing which may be formed into a supporting bracket of the same general configuration as that of FIG. 1, but with the stops also made as book members; and

As shown the basic assembly comprises a shelf 1 and a pair of support members. The support members each consist of an upright 2 and support bracket 3. These latter can most conveniently be cut from and extruded metal section. The section is shaped at the upper part as a channel 4 with outwardly projecting flanges and the free ends 5 of which are bent generally towards each other. The upper flange 6 is made approximately one half the length of the lower flange 7.

FIG. I shows that the lower rear part 8 of the channel 4 is extended downwardly and carries a pair of rearwardly projecting stops 9. The rear face of the upper part of the channel 4 carries a pair of downwardly extending hook members 10.

The hook members 10 and associated stops 9 enable the supporting brackets to be releasably engaged in the slot formations 11 in the uprights 2. The slot formations shown are those which are now in wide general use with different types of shelving assemblies and thus support members of this invention can readily be formed in combination with existing erected uprights of this type.

It will be appreciated that this arrangement will enable the supporting brackets to be slipped into slots 11 appropriately positioned in the upright members 2 which have been secured to a wall or like supporting surface or fonn part of a self supporting framework. Such an arrangement allows for a ready adjustment of the spacing between the shelves.

The shelf 7 is made with downtumed edges 12 and these edges 12 are suitably slotted at 13 so that the shelf 1 can be made to engage the inwardly bent portion of the channel flanges 7 in a manner so that the shelf will be securely held against the ends of flanges 6 to project from the support bracket 3. It will be appreciated that the support bracket 3 need not be very wide to give adequate support. Also with appropriately shaped slots 11 in the uprights 2 the hook members l0 and associated stops may be made to extend across the complete width of the bracket 3.

The shelf 1 will preferably also be made to carry stays 14 pivotally secured thereto which may be either tucked under the shelf and retained there in any convenient manner, or, when the load on the shelf is severe, may be swung outwardly so that the free end 15 can engage in a lower slot formation 1 l. The stay thus braces the outer portion of the shelf.

It will be appreciated that the term shelf' as used in this specification is meant to include shelves of different materials and also frames carrying different supporting members such as glass panels or baskets either of a rigid or flexible nature.

While it has been stated that metal extrusions are preferred for the support brackets this is not essential and the support brackets 3 can be made in any other convenient manner. For example metal sections suitably attached to appropriately bent plates can be used, as shown in FIG. 3. Two ends 16 are made as mirror images of each other separated by a flat section 17. In this case the stops 9 are shown as additional pairs of hook members.

The ends 16 may be bent at right angles to the flat section 17 to provide the hook members 10 and stops 9 on one side while the shelf-engaging sections project in the opposite direction. These parts 16 may be spaced apart by a pair of rigid connectors (not shown) which will be secured between the points indicated at 18 and 19 respectively.

FIG. 4 shows the adjacent edges of a pair of shelves carried in a single supporting bracket 3 with stops parallel to each other engaging the uprights. In use the shelving assembly has proved to be versatile, inexpensive to manufacture, easily installed and adjustable as may be necessary. No leftand righthand-supporting brackets are necessary with the assembly according to this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A shelving assembly comprising uprights and shelf supporting brackets, said brackets having located fonnations on the rear face thereof adapted to releasably and adjustably engage the uprights and having a forwardly projecting horizontal channel section with the free ends of the channel flanges bent inwardly toward each other with the upper flange shorter than the lower, said lower flange having an upwardly projecting free end, a shelf member shaped to engage the bent portions of the channel flanges to hold the shelf at a desired disposition forwardly of the supporting bracket, said shelf member being provided with a formation adapted to engage at least said free end of said lower flange.

2. A shelving assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which separate supporting brackets are provided for each upright.

3. A shelving assembly as claimed in claim I in which the support brackets are formed from metal extrusions.

4. A shelving asembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the support brackets are formed from metal pressings.

5. A shelving amembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the locating formations are hook members having stops in spaced relation thereto with the hook members and stops positioned to engage in appropriate openings formed in the uprights.

6, A shelving assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the shelf carries a stay pivotally secured at one end to the shelf with the other end shaped to engage in an opening in the upright.

7. A shelving assembly comprising uprights having a plurality of spaced-apart openings and shelf support brackets adapted to engage said opening, each said bracket having at least one hooked projection on the rear face thereof adapted to engage an upright in at least one of said openings, said bracket being substantially U" shaped in top view to present two forwardly projecting sections, each said section being substantially C" shaped with the upper flange of the C shorter than the lower flange so that a shelf member may be supported between said flanges.

8. The assembly of claim 7 in which the bracket has two downwardly facing hooked projections on the rear face.

9. The assembly of claim 8 in which the projections are side by side.

13. A bracket for a shelf assembly having uprights with regularly spaced openings therein, said bracket being substantially U" shaped in top view having at least two rearwardly facing downwardly hooked members and a pair of forwardly facing substantially C shaped projections with the upper flange of each C" being shorter than the lower flange.